Act 1, Scene 1: You’re sitting in the leasing office for the apartment that you applied to rent two weeks earlier. You need to move out of your place by Friday — five-days-from-now Friday. The property manager walks in, laughing and adjusting a tie, then falls quiet.

PM: Hi there, Justine. About this application… There were some things missing. We have to restart the process before I can approve you. You need to fill this out, including everything this time. I’ll let you know in two weeks if it goes through.

You: (sighing nervously)…

This isn’t a situation you want to find yourself in when you’re trying to secure your dream apartment. You shouldn’t assume that a property manager won’t need certain information on the application just because you can’t remember it, and it’s important that you make a great first impression, too. This is where your rental resume comes in. Much like a work resume, it highlights everything you offer as a tenant. Read on to learn why you need one.

Making First Impressions

You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. The one you make on your potential landlord needs to electrify them; so smile and be friendly. Having a resume in hand shows you are responsible and organized, two qualities landlords value when it comes to you paying rent and otherwise being a good tenant. They are more likely to seriously consider you when they remember this first meeting.

Appearing Qualified

Maybe you’ve found your ideal place, but you have less-than-stellar credit or have been “renting” your old bedroom back at home until you saved money. On a rental application this would not appear very substantial, but your resume allows you to highlight favorable areas of your life and make your good qualities known. A long work history, for example, lets them know that you are stable and don’t jump from job to job, just like you won’t randomly go apartment-hopping.

Image Credit: Tobyotter

Bringing Pets

You might have a landlord who is on the fence about allowing your dog to move in. Supplementing your resume with a pet resume that highlights your pal’s credentials, such as its obedience class certificate, a reference from your neighbor saying it rarely barks, and a cute photo, will tip the scales in your favor because the landlord can see it’s well-behaved.

Keeping Organized

Your renter’s resume will benefit you just as much as a future landlord. When you start your search, you’ll remember important details to discuss with managers, and it can also help you fill out applications without leaving blank spaces. It’ll leave you with a template to use when you decide the time is right to move again.

Making it Happen

Most importantly, a renter’s resume can ultimately help you to secure your dream apartment. When a landlord has to choose between you and another equally impressive potential tenant, the personalized information you provide will elevate your application, and your chances of getting the apartment, above the competition.

Act 2, Scene 1: The property manager has called you into the office, Just a few days after you filled out an application and presented your renter’s resume.

PM: Justine! Everything looked great on your application, and that resume really helped me out when I was looking for some last-minute info. We can get your lease signed today and do the walk-through if you have time.

You (smiling graciously): I can’t wait to move in.

Image Credit(s): Image(s) by Tobyotter & DanielMoyle. Presented from Flickr.com under the Creative Commons License. For licensing info visit CreativeCommons.org. In no way should the information presented herein be considered endorsed by the artist(s), Flickr, or CreativeCommons.org.